


Troubling the Water

by Dweo



Category: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Genre: Games, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 19:25:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5468183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dweo/pseuds/Dweo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Molly confiscates the apples things get out of hand during practice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Troubling the Water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GreyTabbyCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyTabbyCat/gifts).



I sat on my hands and knees, let my mind drift  and came to the conclusion I blamed Molly. It was all Molly's fault. She, after all, had confiscated all the apples.

Yes, it was definitely all her fault.

**Two hours earlier.**

“Did she just... “Lesley’s voice trailed off and she watched Molly walk away with the basket filled with the apples Lesley and I had been using for practice.

“It seems so. I wonder how scared we should be about what she’s going to do with them.”

“I'm not sure, but what is the worst she can do with them?” Lesley sounded still way too innocent about Molly’s cooking

“You do realise we’re talking about Molly here? I mean, do you really want to know?” Lesley laughed and I enjoyed listening to the sound still too rare these days. “But now she has taken the apples, what do you want to do for practice?” I looked around and sighed. Nightingale had said I had to practice for the next thirty minutes at least and Lesley was to join me for as long as she could, but without the apples I wasn’t sure what would consist a safe substitute especially knowing my ability to blow up anything.

“I have an idea.” Lesley sounded too eager and I should have been on my guard, but the perfect view of her back distracted me when she hurried out of the lab.

She returned about five minutes later, a small plastic bag filled with what looked like balloons in her hands. I frowned because I doubted balloons would work, too light.

“Water balloons,” Lesley said, her face contorted into what I by now recognized as a smile and then her words hit me and I grabbed the bag.

“Where did you get this?” I asked.

“Confiscated from those kids who were about to throw paint bombs. You know when you almost got covered because you were not paying attention. I confiscated these things before I let them go.” I remembered the incident, but didn't remember her taking the balloons. She smiled even wider her face contorting even worse.

“It would have been a waste of valuable police resources to officially log these. Besides, I knew it might come in handy one day. And this is the day!” I raised my eyebrow and she picked up the first balloon and filled it with water, when we were through the bag we had about 50 balloons. We decided even we would not be able to fuck up our practice that much by exploding them all. We put them in the sink to keep the lab somewhat dry.

We began normally, but as the saying says; if it is too good to be true it usually is.

I just levitated one of the balloons up from the sink when Lesley sneezed and I lost my concentration. The balloon soared up into the air, hit her on the back of her head, and exploded dramatically before Lesley just about drowned in the water.

It was the moment when things got out of hand.

Lesley, always the dependable, predictable woman, decided that revenge was a good plan and bombarded me with two water balloons in quick succession. I forgot to duck, because I laughed so hard and it was how the great water war and chase off The Folly began. We both scrambled to grab as many water balloons as we could before we ran from the lab and aimed water balloons at each other.

Lesley had a better aim, but I moved quicker, knew how to create a proper shield and had six months training on her so while we both ended up drenched, the hallways and atrium that got the worst of it

Both our water balloon supply ran out fast and then I heard the dreaded word ring through the atrium

“Peter.” Nightingale sounded stern and his face filled with disappointment. I felt the sudden urge to run or at least cower behind Lesley, who, judging by the fact she actually hid behind me, had the same idea. In the end I decided I was no coward, beside it was Lesley’s idea and Molly’s fault, so I was completely innocent.

“Sir.” I looked around the extremely wet surroundings just to avoid Nightingale’s face.

“Sir,” Lesley said at the precise same time as she peeked around me looking at Nightingale.

“Please explain,“ Nightingale gestured around him.

“Sir,” I said again, “we were practicing.”

“I see and you decided apples were boring.” I looked down at Lesley who met my eyes a short battle later I lost and it was down to me to explain the rest too.

“Molly confiscated them.” I met Nightingales eyes for a moment. His face was passive, but something hid in the look in his eyes.

“Molly,” Nightingale said as he looked up. My eyes followed him and there Molly stood with what I later realized was an amused look.

“Yes, so we decided water balloons would be a good substitute. We just got carried away.”

“I see,“ Nightingale said, walking closer. That was when I knew something was extremely off. He stood in his shirt sleeves and his wizard staff in his hand. In the back of my head alarm bells went suddenly off and just as I ducked out of sight a large jet of icy cold water hit us from behind.

“Do you really think you’re the first to think of this?” Nightingale asked. “Hundreds have gone before you and there is a reason why we don't do this anymore.” At those words he splashed water at us again. From the corner of my eye and out of eyesight of Nightingale I saw Lesley remove one of her water balloons and she sent it flying straight at Nightingale. Nightingale had not expected it. He only reacted at the last moment and threw up a shield which made the balloon burst spectacularly.

“Oh, you're playing that game,” he said and suddenly water rushed at us from three sides. We both ducked, and send water balloons directly at Nightingale.

Nightingale moved out of the way; the balloons narrowly missed him and as he moved he made a slashing movement and a large wall of water appeared.

“Lesley,” I whispered as I gestured to her to take the left side of the wall of water while I carefully moved forward. I was drenched already a little bit more water wouldn’t hurt me and this way I could distract Nightingale long enough for Lesley to get at least one hit in. As I stepped through the water wall I realised, yes, this could hurt me a lot. The water Nightingale had conjured was far colder than any of the previous water jets and made my muscles cramp up all at once.

Nightingale raised an eyebrow at my stupid move through the freezing wall of water and waited for me to make a move. I raised my hand, which held a red water balloon. He smirked and kept his eyes locked on me. He watched me while I levitated the balloon up from my hand, something that was surprisingly difficult with the cold to distract me. Then I send it flying towards him just as Lesley’s balloon shoot from behind Nightingale, aimed at his lower body. I watched my balloon exploded on his shield and Lesley bodily picked up by another stream of water and she hung suspended upside down for a moment, water balloons dropped from her pockets as Nightingale’s water jet shook her. When her pockets were empty and no balloons fell anymore, it put her gently on the ground. She lay there panting as I stared at Nightingale.

“Peter,” he said, his voice sounded light and he made a water jet spout up which made me take a hasty step back.

I raised my hands, and made sure not to make any sudden movements, meanwhile I dropped the two balloons I held in my hands.

“Keep your hands there, Peter, and remove the rest from your pockets, please.”

I concentrated and one by one my magic dropped the water balloons on the ground. Every burst send cold water over my shoes.

“Let this be a lesson, never start a water fight with the water war champion of Casterbrook three years in a row.“ Nightingale extended his hand to Lesley and when she was on her feet again he dried them with the handkerchief he had conjured from somewhere. The moment he looked pristine again he let out a happy laugh.

“But I have to admit you’re showing progress and it was impressive how you could keep up even through the freezing water.”

Lesley and I looked at each other and then burst out laughing too. I even heard Molly’s distinct laugh come from upstairs.

“I think it’s time I introduce you to a slightly less messy approach to this game. And, until then, I think you have some cleaning up to do.” At those words Molly put two old fashioned buckets and cleaning mops in front of us and walked away followed by Nightingale who still laughed.

I looked at Lesley and cursed. Ah well, it had not been the first time I scrubbed floors and at least these had been clean before we messed up I thought before I went down on my hands and knees.

But still it was all Molly's fault.

 


End file.
